THQ extends Warhammer 40,000 deal

Publisher THQ has confirmed that it has entered into a multi-year extension to its current agreement with Games Workshop for the Warhammer 40,000 game rights.

The deal grants THQ exclusivity to use the license across all platforms including console and mobile.

To date the company has published a number of titles based on the brand which have between them shipped 6.5m units to date. Two new Warhammer 40,000 games are currently in the works – third person shooter Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and MMO Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online.

"The complex, futuristic war-torn universe created by Games Workshop equipped THQ's award-winning development teams with the material to create one of the most loved PC franchises - Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War," THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell stated.

"Our envisioning of the Warhammer 40,000 universe will continue to grow with top quality games across all platforms."

Games Workshop CEO Mark Wells added: "The impressive translation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe from the tabletop to the video game space by THQ certainly highlights the potential of our most successful intellectual property in the right hands.

"We know that the depth of the storylines, characters and imagery of the Warhammer 40,000 universe positions the IP to excel across many media platforms – and extending our agreement with THQ will help ensure that Warhammer 40,000 maintains a strong and growing presence in the video game space."